Translation resultHahm Shin-ik and his private orchestra, Symphony Song, will present two consecutive programs in the 2026 Masters Series that explore internal tension, mortality and consolation. The orchestra will perform a program of 20th\u2011century Russian works on May 30 and mount Verdi\u2019s monumental Requiem on June 16.Masters Series III opens May 30 at Seoul\u2019s Lotte Concert Hall. The program pairs Shostakovich\u2019s Festive Overture and Symphony No. 5 with Prokofiev\u2019s Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring pianist Kim Kyu\u2011yeon as soloist. The evening highlights the tension and contrasting textures that define much of 20th\u2011century Russian music: Shostakovich\u2019s overture launches the concert with bright, flamboyant energy; Prokofiev\u2019s Second Piano Concerto demands explosive technique and dramatic shifts of feeling; and the second half\u2019s Symphony No. 5, written in 1937 under the Soviet regime, preserves classical form while conveying a charged, tragic intensity. The Third Movement\u2019s deep lyricism and the Fourth Movement\u2019s forceful conclusion continue to invite varied readings.\u201cI assembled works from the same era that speak in different musical languages and emotional registers,\u201d Hahm said, \u201cso audiences can move through a wide spectrum of feeling.\u201d Pianist Kim Kyu\u2011yeon reunites with Hahm and Symphony Song after their collaboration last year.Masters Series IV takes place June 16 at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall with Verdi\u2019s Requiem. Co\u2011produced with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the concert commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Korean War and the 70th Memorial Day. Though cast in the form of sacred music, Verdi\u2019s Requiem is operatic in scope: thunderous choruses and orchestral surges\u2014most notably the \u201cDies Irae\u201d\u2014alternate with delicate arias to dramatize fear of death and the longing for salvation.Soloists for the performance are soprano O Mi\u2011sun, mezzo\u2011soprano Kim Sun\u2011jung, tenor Kim Dong\u2011won and bass\u2011baritone Samuel Yoon, joined by the Bucheon and Incheon municipal choirs. Organizers plan to invite domestic and international veterans, their families and diplomatic guests to frame the performance as an occasion of remembrance, peace and solidarity.\u201cVerdi\u2019s Requiem is among the most dramatic and operatic of the repertoire\u2019s requiems,\u201d Hahm said. \u201cIt contains an urgent, pleading appeal for mercy. You can expect the energy that comes from Symphony Song\u2019s young, passionate players combined with outstanding soloists and choirs.\u201dFounded in 2014, Hahm Shin\u2011ik and Symphony Song have become one of South Korea\u2019s leading private orchestras. Hahm has extended his reach through collaborations with orchestras across the United States, Europe, South America and Asia, while Symphony Song continues to broaden the possibilities for private ensembles through imaginative programming and varied performances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Masters Series features 20th-century Russian music and Verdi’s Requiem, highlighting themes of tension and death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/thumbnail\/2026\/05\/CP-2023-0094\/thumb-c3f8ef84-d2de-4d18-8b07-1c6c157b5606.jpg","footnotes":""},"categories":[278101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-260852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"yoast_head":"\n